Watford need to prioritize extracting the best out of Will Hughes
Former wonder kid Will Hughes made his debut as a 16-year-old for Derby County, with many expecting him to become the next big English thing. However, injuries and fate had other ideas and while the 23-year-old still has time on his side, it’s his time at Watford that may come to define him once his career is over the hill.
Like Watford and Javi Garcia, Hughes started the season brilliantly winning their first four games before everything petered out. Hughes however, won plaudits for his performances with many expecting him to even earn a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad. But that never happened, and everything went downhill from there.
However, like it was shown early season, the key to Watford and Javi Garcia’s success is getting the best out of the former wonder kid. As the 23-year-old has shown, his’ grace and eye for a pass makes him crucial in the middle of the park and that combined with his competitiveness makes him even more valuable. But it’s up to Garcia to convince and re-ignite hope back into Hughes if Watford wants to have any chance of making a Europa League spot.
Catching up may look easy, but at the moment both teams are on a roll and Watford will need every ounce of Will Hughes’ creative energy to get them chugging down the track once again. To do this, they need to get the best out of Hughes and that means adapting the team around the player.
Not the player around the team, and when you have a playmaker like Hughes, any side’s creative issues could disappear in a flash. However, to do that, first Watford need to bring in a reliable front-man who can score goals regularly, unlike their current pair. Neither Troy Deeney or Andre Gray have managed to find the net regularly this season, with Roberto Pereyra instead leading the chart with six goals (via Transfermarkt).
If Watford does manage to peak Hughes and help him re-discover his early season form, then maybe just maybe they can close the gap between them and the two sides above them. Till then, it will be like running a 100-meter race with your legs tied, and that’s not something anyone wants to do.
